


A Poe Dameron Mother Hen Moment

by CluelessFangirl



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Besotted Finn, Distraught Ben Solo, Domestic Finnpoe, F/M, Finnpoe - Freeform, Fluff, Gay Finn (Star Wars), Gay Parents, Gay Poe Dameron, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mother Hen Poe Dameron, Poe Dameron's ass, Poe just wants to help everyone, Single Dad Ben Solo, Stormpilot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:07:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25365097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CluelessFangirl/pseuds/CluelessFangirl
Summary: This is entirely inspired by the gorgeous @wherehaveyouben and her brilliant work, which you can find herehttps://archiveofourown.org/works/24839956/chapters/60086863Talking to her about Poe's supporting role made me want to write more about him, so this is set in the universe of "She Doesn't Normally Bite", and focuses on the moment Ben and Poe met.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn, ben solo/oc
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	A Poe Dameron Mother Hen Moment

**Author's Note:**

  * For [@Wherehaveyouben](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=%40Wherehaveyouben).



> This is all fluff and love, no warnings except a minor mention of OC death for Ben's wife.  
> Again, this wouldn't exist if it weren't for @wherehaveyouben 's genius!

“Babe, do we need more pasta?” Finn’s voice yanked Poe back to the shopping, to the present, to what he was  _ supposed _ to be focusing on.

“Um, I don’t think so. Maybe only lasagne sheets? We always run out and I never remember until I’ve already started”

“That’s true, I’ll go find some. I think that just leaves…” Poe had already stopped listening, which in itself was probably enough to clue Finn in that something was wrong. Poe never switched off when Finn was speaking, always listened to everything his husband had to say. But today, he couldn’t help but be distracted.

“Okay that’s the third time you’ve done that, what’s going on?” Finn had stepped firmly into Poe’s eyeline, fixing him with a stern look that meant business. Poe resisted the urge to peer over Finn’s shoulder to get another look, and instead met his husband’s eyes.

“You’re going to think I’m crazy, but there’s a man wandering around”

“Babe, it’s a supermarket, it’s not crazy for there to be a man here. Care to elaborate?”

“He’s been here even longer than us, and he’s just… wandering. He’s got a baby strapped to his chest, and he seems really lost.”

“Maybe he’s just walking around to keep the baby asleep? Do you not remember the number of nights I had to drive around with Owen just to get him to sleep for a minute?”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true… but…” Finn sighed, shook his head at Poe’s mother henning, and resigned himself to the fact that all of his partner’s focus was going to be on this for the rest of the trip.

“Right, you clearly can’t stop worrying about this random man, so why don’t you go grab us a six pack for your dad, and see if you can work out what’s going on while you’re at it?”

Finn was rewarded with Poe’s unbearably gorgeous grin. It was the special one he reserved for when Finn put up with his lunacy, wide and toothy and it made the crinkles next to his eyes scrunch up in a way he knew was irresistible to Finn. He stalked off, taking what was clearly a carefully calculated route to the beer aisle, checking on the stranger as he passed. Finn watched him go, as he always did – if your man had an ass like that, it was part of your marital duties to stare at it any opportunity you got, as far as he was concerned.

Poe hadn’t got any less appealing to Finn, despite the fact they’d been married for nearly three years, and they’d been together another four before that. He’d aged, sure, and his hair was starting to streak through with grey, but Finn enjoyed it. He thought the salt and pepper look only added to Poe’s charms, he loved the ever-so-slight softness his husband’s stomach had developed. He would always look at Poe and see nothing but perfection, even when he wanted to murder the man because he left the kitchen a bomb site, or sang loudly when the baby was finally asleep, or used the last of the milk and put the carton back in the fridge. For better or worse, that’s what he’d signed on for, and when the better was the best, the worse didn’t matter so much. And so he watched his husband disappear in search of the potentially-lost-stranger, and hoped he managed to remember to come back with the beer as well.

Poe forgot the beer. Finn failed to be surprised, he was used to Poe’s attention being consumed by whatever was at hand, to the exclusion of all else. Poe could be intense when he got caught up in something, and usually it ended up going really well for Finn when that concentration was focused on him, so he didn’t mind too much. This time though, the stranger was the focus for Poe’s attention.

“So, I found him again. And he’s definitely not lost, not geographically at least.”

Poe looked concerned, and Finn had a growing sense that this was about to become  _ a thing.  _ A Poe Dameron mother hen moment. It wouldn’t be the first time. If Poe saw someone who needed help, of any kind, he could never resist. There had been the time when he’d ended up adopting a puppy because it was lost on the road and needed an owner, and when no one stepped forward Poe had determined that he couldn’t let the guy go to a shelter. So Beebee had joined the family. Then there was the time when they went to the beach, and some kid had gotten caught in the tide and dragged out further than he’d been able to cope with, and Poe had been the one to spot him and dive in, helping the boy back to shore and to his parents, who’d not even noticed he was gone. Then there was the old woman who’d fallen near Finn’s old apartment when Poe was on the way to pick him up for date night. Finn had received a quick text, “Late, good reason though. Will explain when I see you.”, which had almost made him angry until Poe had turned up with a charming smile and explained that the old lady had needed help carrying her shopping and then he’d had to stay and change the bulb in her reading light, and maybe he’d had to change the thermostat because she didn’t understand the new system she’d had installed and… Finn got used to it pretty quickly. He’d accepted that being with Poe meant that there would inevitably be moments where Poe just had to step in and help. He found it endearing to be honest, and it was one of the things that had attracted him to Poe in the first place – a man who was just inherently good and kind and the opposite of everything Finn had grown up around. He was chaos and mischief but his goodness shone through and that meant that Finn had never been able to stop him from intervening, from having a mother hen moment.

“So he’s okay?”

“No, I really don’t think he is. At all. He’s been staring at the formula for like… too long. And he looks like he’s exhausted.”

“Poe, every new parent looks like they’re exhausted. You look like you’re exhausted, I look like I’m exhausted, it just comes with the territory.”

Poe gave him a dirty look, and Finn just raised his eyebrows in response. His husband was gorgeous, but that didn’t erase the fact he had bags under his eyes that would get him charged extra on a flight, and there was definitely baby sick on the shoulder of his shirt. His hair needed cutting and he was yawning about twice as often as he might have done if they were doing this shop a few months ago, pre-Owen.

“Fine, I guess you’re right. It’s just…” Poe fixed Finn with a plaintive look, and said softly “I think he’s crying. Or he has been. A lot. He doesn’t look like he’s doing so well.”

At that, Finn stopped. Poe might be the mother hen, but that didn’t mean Finn was totally unsympathetic. A crying man with a baby was a worry, and one that made Finn take Poe more seriously.

“That’s not good. Okay, we’re going to very subtly go and get something from the next aisle over, and I’m going to take a look, and then we’ll see. I’m not letting you bother a man just because he’s tired, but if he’s… we’ll see.”

“I’m telling you Finn, he needs help.”

“I believe you babe, let me just see for myself, okay?”

Poe nodded and started leading them towards the right aisle. Finn kept his eyes peeled for a man with a baby, but as it turned out he didn’t have to look so hard. He would have had to be blind to miss the man in question.

“That’s him”

“Yeah, Poe, I guessed. Jesus, are you sure this isn’t just because he’s attractive?”

“Finn!! Yes, I’m sure! Just because he’s gorgeous, that’s not it – I seriously think he needs help”

They were whispering, in the next aisle over, pretending to stare at cans of chickpeas and kidney beans, in an attempt not to alert the man to their fussing. He was tall, really tall, reach-the-top-shelf and then some kind of tall, and utterly gorgeous with dark hair and long legs and shoulders broader than even Finn’s own. But when he took another surreptitious look, Finn couldn’t help but concede that Poe was probably right. The man’s eyes were red rimmed, and he was shifting from foot to foot nervously, almost like he didn’t realise he was doing it. He was talking quietly to the baby, but he was so clearly not alright that Finn was half tempted to push Poe over there himself. Of course, he didn’t need to.

“Yep, babe, I think you’re right. I’m going to go find some sweet potatoes and you’re going to go make sure he’s okay. Come find me if you need me.”

Poe gave him a soft look, one that spoke volumes of gratitude and safety, and leaned forward to press a quick kiss to his lips. Finn smiled sadly at him, and then headed off towards the produce aisle. Poe would handle it, he was good with people, he always knew just the right thing to say. He’d make sure the guy was alright, and he’d come get Finn if he could help at all.

Poe approached the stranger slowly, almost as if he was a frightened animal, but he needn’t have worried. The man was staring fixedly at the formula, eyes only ever moving to look down at the baby strapped to his chest. He didn’t seem to notice Poe drawing near, so Poe decided to speak up before it became weird that he was just stood there staring.

“Are you okay, bud? It’s just… you’ve been here for a while…” Poe gestured back towards where Finn was, even though he was probably out of sight right now. “...my fella and me, we’ve walked by you about three times.”

The stranger just sort of blinked at him, almost like he was startled. He didn’t seem like he was capable of speaking, and that just spurred Poe on to try harder.

“New dad stuff can be pretty overwhelming. We’ve got a boy, Owen. He’s a couple months old now.” He was hoping this man was just struggling under the weight of sudden fatherhood, which was certainly relatable. God knows how he and Finn would have coped if they didn’t have Poe’s dad, who’d been there every step of the way with advice, and who was always willing to take Owen for a few hours to let Poe and Finn sleep.

The man finally managed to respond.

“Yeah. I um— I lost my wife…” his voice cracked as he spoke, and Poe got the distinct impression he hadn’t actually said those words aloud yet. He watched this huge stranger blink back tears, and his heart broke. Just the thought of losing Finn, of having to raise Owen alone and not being able to grieve because he had to be strong for the baby… Poe almost cried thinking about it. He wasn’t even sure how to respond to that, what were you supposed to say to a complete stranger going through what was undoubtedly the most traumatic time of their life?

He had no idea, but he knew that this man wasn’t going to be alone anymore. Poe didn’t let people go through things alone.

“I’m sorry, man. That’s rough. Lemme help you. I’m Poe by the way.” The man nodded, like he was ready to accept any help if it meant he could hand over responsibility for just a minute. 

“Ben.” He said, and Poe tapped him gently on the arm in what was hopefully a reassuring way. “Ben, okay Ben. Let’s do this.”

He got Ben to read out ingredients while he looked them up on his phone, letting him take his time. Choosing formula was an absolute pain in the ass, Poe knew from first-hand experience, and he’d trusted Finn to handle the whole process. Finn was good at planning and researching and generally being organised, so he let Finn deal with this and focused on things that were more in his wheelhouse, like singing Owen to sleep. Now he kind of wished he knew more, so that he could help Ben.

It took them a while, and Poe was surprised Finn hadn’t come to find him, but they eventually settled on a formula that seemed like a safe and sensible choice. Ben had just about held it together throughout, probably managing better when he had something practical to focus on, but when they finally chose a product he seemed to come back to himself, to be reminded again of the situation.

“My wife… she was going to nurse Ellis, so this powdered shit isn’t something we had to think about.” He was clearly holding back a sob, one that got caught in his throat and choked him, and Poe reached out without thinking to take his hand and squeeze reassuringly. If he’d known Ben better, or if the baby hadn’t been strapped to his chest, Poe would have wrapped him in a huge hug and not let him go until he’d cried it all out. But he guessed that wasn’t the best protocol with strangers, and crying in the baby aisle was clearly the last thing Ben needed right now. Instead, Poe decided, he’d just have to make sure this man wasn’t a stranger, that he had support that he so desperately needed.

“We’ll sort you out, big man. Only the best for Ellis, right? Look, let’s get your shop done together, you can meet my husband. We’re well versed in being terrified dads. We can get through this together.” Ben seemed surprised by the offer, as if he didn’t expect a stranger to show him such kindness. Poe supposed the world hadn’t been particularly kind to Ben lately, so maybe he wasn’t prepared for it yet. He nodded though, and allowed Poe to lead him through the shop, back to Finn, who was bound to have something to say about this.

They found Finn deciding between punnets of strawberries, taking his time and analysing them with a frown until he felt Poe approaching and looked up. His eyes widened only slightly at the sight of Ben meekly following Poe, and he covered it up immediately: Ben probably hadn’t seen it.

“This is my husband, Finn. Cariño, this is Ben, and this little angel is Ellis. We’re going to help them do their shopping because it’s all a little much for Ben right now.” He met Finn’s eyes, and it said a lot about the depth of their bond that he was able to tell Finn so much with only an expression. Finn understood immediately that there was something much more serious going on, and that Poe didn’t want to make Ben rehash it again, so he’d probably tell Finn later. He could see immediately that Poe was taking Ben under his wing, and found that when he looked at the man, really looked, he couldn’t object. Ben looked exhausted in a way that most people would probably dismiss as the standard new parent sleep deprivation, but Finn could see the haunted look in the man’s eyes, even though he tried to smile as he shook Finn’s hand, and the way he was constantly keeping one hand on Ellis as if he expected her to be taken away… this man had clearly been through something, and Finn’s heart ached.

“Absolutely, what do you need next man?”

They got the shopping done, and both Finn and Poe allowed Ben to take far longer than was probably normal choosing items for his basket. Neither of them said a word, kept reassuring Ben that it didn’t matter, they didn’t mind, that he could take as long as he needed. He seemed so vulnerable, for such a big man he kept trying to fold himself smaller, as if he hoped he could hide from the world. Eventually though, they managed to get through everything, get Ben’s list completed and maybe lift his spirits ever so slightly.

As they stood and packed their own shopping, Ben at another till paying for his, Finn watched Poe. He was constantly looking over, eyes flicking back to check on Ben.

“I know that look. I know you. I know what’s going on here.” Finn spoke softly, not wanting Ben to overhear.

“What do you mean?” Poe finally looked up, giving Finn a confused frown.

“We’re about to adopt another stray, aren’t we?” He would have smirked at Poe, if it weren’t such a serious situation. Poe had filled him in, quietly, as they sorted their stuff into their bags. Finn had felt a chill down his spine at the thought, and as his eyes met Poe’s he knew they’d been thinking the same thing. Would either of them have been able to carry on, without the other? He wasn’t sure he even wanted to know the answer.

Poe gave him a brief smile, almost apologetic, as he started to pull their cart away from the till. He didn’t even bother to deny it, he clearly knew Finn would accept, couldn’t say no to him or to Ben’s plight.

As he watched Poe exchange numbers with Ben, watched him put a hand on Ben’s shoulder (even though he had to reach up to do it), watched him do everything he could to ease Ben’s pain, Finn realised that he was going to be seeing a lot more of this man. He didn’t mind so much. He could see that Ben was in pain, and needed people. Maybe they could help, take a little of the pain away. He knew Poe wasn’t going to stop until he’d ingratiated himself firmly into Ben’s life.


End file.
